The Pyramid of Violence
by Eazy E 4 life
Summary: Not a typical GTA story by definition. More like an unrelated story, in a GTA atmosphere. A teenage guy struggles to keep himself and his friends alive in a suburban town that's become a living hell filled with dangerous street gangs. R and R please...
1. Chapter 1

**_The story below his my creation, but I do not endorse any of the events described in it. Racial/sexist expressions are used only for the story, and are not supported by athor. Please, have fun reading, and leave me review if you can..._**

As a news helicopter flew over a small town in the outskirts of Montreal, the wail of sirens could barely cover the so-many sobs let out by the survivors. The city had burned down to nothing in the matter of hours. Dead corpses laid all along the road, blood staining the concrete. Several police cars laid overturned, and an ambulance was on fire in the middle of the street.

**Chapter 1 : On fire**

What had led this peaceful suburban town to this extreme limit of terror? To know, we need to go back, way back, into the events.

It all started one day, at the local high school. A normal day in this yet calm Canadian suburbia. But, for a fifteen year old girl, this morning was no normal morning. Sabrina, a student at the local high school, had been followed from her home by some strange guy with a black outfit and a Mohawk hair style. As she turned in a smaller street, the fat guy got closer, along with two other, and she felt his hands on her hips, then on her breasts.

She screamed the louder she could, but no one seemed to be nearby. The man pushed her down on the street, and pulled her pants down. As she felt his penis searching for her anus, she screamed more. But still, no one was there to save her.

An hour later, high school front yard.

''Hey man, Sabrina here already?''John asked me, a look of concern on his face.

''Nope... She should've arrived much earlier.'' I answered, not giving much attention.

''Damn, she's missing all the fun...''

''Anyway, this party suck-ass...''

''Too much rock-loving skateboarders...''

''Hey, there she is...''

The girl in question walked to us, her clothes ripped off by parts, a look of pain on her face. She had tear marks on her cheeks, and her eyes were red.

''Shit... What the fuck happened?'' John asked.

''Nothing'' She said flatly.

I approached her, and looked at her.

''What happened to you? I'm not going to say anything... Just... tell me...'' I explained, trying to comfort her.

''Look Shawn... I don't wanna fucking talk about it...''

''But you need to... C'mon I can help you whatever it is...''

''I got... raped...'' She whispered.

As she said that last word, she shed in tears, crying loudly. I patted the back of her head, and she cried on my shoulder.

''Who did this to you?''

''Some skateboarders...'' She squeezed in between sobs.

I looked up, tears wanting to gain me too. I looked once more at Sabrina. She was a girl I didn't knew that intimately, but she was a good girl. And I hated seeing her suffering.

''Yo John... Go get Mitch, we are going...''

''Were?''

''We're gonna those motherfuckers that did that.''

''Hell yeah my man...''

John ran inside the building to get Mitch, one of my friends. John was six foot, mildly muscular. He was of Portuguese descent, and wore at the moment a pair of baggy jeans with a white tank, along with a white doo-rag.

Soon, he came out of the school, followed by Mitch, a tall, large, Caucasian guy in sport clothes.

''What's up fellas?''

I fingered Sabrina, and he understood immediately.

''Fuck...'' He muttered.

''Okay, Saby, what were those dudes looking like?''

''They had... dark clothes, and their... leader... had a big Mohawk. They headed south after they...''

''Got it. J.S., stay with her.''

''For sure man.''

''John, that car of yours ready?''

''It's at the garage...''

''Fuck this, we're going there on foot.''

''Yeah!''

We ran across the street to the south, were Sabrina lived. If those assholes were still out there, they were dead men. As we ran to our maximum, ignoring what our bodies told us, my heart pumped faster. Skateboarders had always messed with us a bit, but this time, this was too much. After half a mile of sprinting, we saw three guys looking just like what my friend had told us, walking on the sidewalk, laughing about something obviously very hilarious.

I approached.

''Hey yo, any of you into raping?''

They looked at each other in a paranoid fashion.

''A little blond chick, fifteen minutes ago, rings any bells.''

The fat guy with the Mohawk started spouting near nonsense talk. He was probably stone.

''Yeah... Some bitch named Sabrina... Damn she was good... Tight ass...''

He must've seen the fire of revenge burning in my eyes, because he backed off a bit. I slid my knife out of my pockets, and flipped it open.

They back up a bit more, but Mitch knocked the first one to the floor. I took the Mohawk guy, while John punched the last one in the face. I dropped my knife, this being only for scaring them.

My fist smashed on the guy's face hard, them I sent him another blow to the jar. He fell on the floor, and I slammed my fist a few more times to his face. The violence of the hits made his head knock to the ground. He cried out in pain. I got back on my feet, threatening him once before leaving.

''If you ever approach her again, you're a dead man.''

He didn't answer. We walked back to school, trying to calm us down a bit before we went back to Sabrina.

''Girl, you ain't got to be scared about that son of a bitch anymore.''

''He's... dead?'' she asked, terror in her voice tone.

''No... Of course not... We just taught him and his friends some respect 101 class.''

We walked in. Emy, Sabrina's best friend, ran for her. I spotted Sam, a tall black guy, near us. He wore his usual baggy jeans and throwback jersey. We knuckled up.

''What's up man?''

''Saby, she's got some problems... Nothing we couldn't handle thought...''

''Those motherfuckers got it coming to 'em...''

''Yeah... Guess all these assholes are the same...''

''Might be.''

I prepared to add something else, when somebody bumped into me. I turned around to look at him. A damn skateboarder, a blond haired, short guy, chewing a gum his mouth wide open. I had my share of these assholes for the day. Plus I had already seen him with the ones we had beaten up that morning.

''Hey, yo, excuse me motherfucker!'' I barked, angry as hell.

''What are you sayin'?''

''You heard me.''

''You better apologize.''

''Cause you bumped into me? I don't think so.''

''Fuck you _''wigger''._''

He received both me fist and Sam's fist in the mouth at the same time. He stumbled back, and I hit him once more. He was knocked against a locker, and fell on the floor. His girlfriend Suzy came rushing to him, a worried look on his face.

''Why for fuck's sake did you punched him?'' She shouted angrily.

Before I could do anything, Sabrina ran past me and jumped on Suzy.

''You fucking bitch!'' Sabrina yelled.

''God-damned slut! You got it coming to you! Hope you got banged hard in the ass!''

Sabrina was about to punch Suzy, when I grabbed her and took her away.

''Calm down! She ain't meaning what she said. We're just all messed up with this shit.''

Sabrina slowly calmed down in my arms.

''Look girl, I don't think Suzy's done nothing wrong.''

I turned back to Suzy, who was now next to two tall skateboarders. Mitch, Sam and John stood behind me.

''You motherfuckers better get out of here while you still can!'' I shouted.

As the two guys slowly turned around and walked away, Suzy made a strange face, and resigned.

''Suzy... I know you are a good person... Join the good camp, or you won't be spared.''

She nodded and walked away, not wanting to face us.

Soon enough, a bunch of teachers arrived. While our crew split up, as if nothing had happened, I walked back to my locker. There was no way the teachers were going to get us. They were way over their heads in this.

I turned the padlock, my hands still shaking from the emotions. As I grabbed my coat, a tall person I could identify as the principal stood near me.

''May I talk to you, mister, in private, in my office?''

''Look, I got a lot to do right now...''

''This isn't a choice.''

''Ah fuck...'' I muttered under my breath.

I followed him to his office, knowing that there was no point in outrunning him, as they would catch me anyway, at a time or another. I sat in front of his desk, and he sat behind it. This was the normal question session, which all of us hated like hell.

''Look, I don't care what you do outside of the school, this is the police's jurisdiction. But beneath these walls, I am the law. And I don't take kindly to people who beat others for any reasons.''

I nodded silently. He continued.

''I could nail you with a judicial case, but I might be more... kind... if you accept to cooperate and explain us the whole event. I want names.

''I ain't gonna talk.'' I said flatly.

''Well then...''

''I ain't gonna talk about my crew. Neither am I gonna give details about the other crew. The only thing I can tell you, are the exact facts, without names or accurate description.''

He kicked back in his chair, pondered a bit, and nodded slowly.

''This sounds fair to me.''

''Good.''

''So, what is it? Why is this school having so much violence problems?''

''Let me give you a little teen 101. First, you got two main styles. Skateboarders and hip-hop. And both are different from more than a dozen aspects. And both are quarreling endlessly. Without getting into the details, I can say that one part, the skateboarders, pushed this little feud to a turning point.''

''May I just ask you what was this turning point?''

''A rape.'' I said, calmly, coldly.

''In our establishment?''

''No. Outdoors. But all parties implicated were students here.''

''And why are you involved in this?''

''I asked for no personal questions. But I can still say that I... knew... the girl that got raped. With this whole affair going public in the school, shit is going to get messy. I can tell all the hip-hops are gonna walk around, beating anybody wearing skateboarder colors.''

''But, can I get names? At least of skateboarders?''

''I ain't snitching.''

I walked out of the office. I wasn't in a mood to bargain. This was enough. That day, I felt like I was burning from the inside. I was mad.

I got to my friends, and gave a knuckle up to Fernando, a Mexican guy I knew.

''What's up holmes?''

''Shit. Bad shit. Theses skateboarders are done. But I feel it ain't gonna be long until we get to do some more ass kicking. These people really doesn't seem to give a fuck about anybody.''

''Fuck... I guess it's 'bout Sabrina...''

''Yeah...''

''You still... feel something... toward her, right?''

''Sort of...''

''If you need my help, I'm always down. I can't stand skateboarders.''

''I'll do that. Just watch your back. You never know when they'll hit.''

He nodded. John came to talk to me.

''Hey Shawn...''

''What's new?''

''Not much.''

''John, I figured we should be careful with this. These skateboarders are getting more and more violent.''

We walked to the end of the locker row. I saw a skateboarder, and felt a force applied to my neck. Then I saw he was holding onto my chain, trying to steal it.

''Yo motherfucker, don't touch shit you don't have money to pay!''

He insisted. He knocked him to the floor, and kicked him.

''Bitch! Don't you ever touch that again.''

We walked in the party. We split up. Sabrina arrived, changed up with new clothes, probably gift of her friends.

''You okay girl?''

''I'll make it.''

''Anybody giving you shit?''

''No... Not specially.''

''What you mean?''

''You know... They always laugh a bit at me... It's normal...''

''No it ain't! Who is it?'' I roared, frustrated.

''Nobody in particular...''

''I see... We can't do much against that...''

A scream was heard at the other end of the hallway. We walked to the corner, and saw a tall brown haired skateboarder in front of a girl. The girl was Suzy.

''Bitch, you want to run to the other side? Alright! But look at this!''

He slapped her, and she stumbled back, a hand on her mouth.

''Aw... No fucking _wigger_ here to protect you?''

I stepped in the hallway, and approached them. He turned to me, and tried to punch me in the face. I dodged rather easily. I sent him a blow to the mouth. He responded with a solid right to the jar. I was propelled backwards, and fell on my back. He tried to kick me, but I rolled sideways then rushed up to my feet. I sent him my fist to the mouth once more. He back up. I knocked him out with two more hits.

''Son of a bitch! I see you beating a woman once more, and you are a dead man.''

He walked away, limping a bit from the general pain in his body.

''Thanks...''

''Don't mention it.''

We walked back to the crew.

''They attacked her!'' I barked.

''That's fucking enough!''

''Yeah!''

''Look, I vote we get the girls the fuck out of here, get the rest of the crew, and get up with a plan.''

''I'm down player...''

''We're all with you man...''

We left the girls outside. I sent a last smile to Sabrina.

''We gotta do this... It's no longer a choice.''

She nodded, a look of concern in her eye. I made another frantic smile, and turned to my friends.

''Does somebody got a plan?''

''Fuck this, we go through, and take out as many as we can. They attacked two girls, and fucked with us numerous times.''

''Yeah!''

''Hell yeah!''

Everybody approved. It was violent, ruthless, but it was all we could think at the moment. I walked back in, followed by my crew. We were seven. John, Mitch, J.S., Fernando, and Sam, plus Joe, a solid football player who happened to be a friend.

''Okay... This is when we pop in and bust all these lousy-ass motherfuckers. Everybody ready?''

''Yeah!''

Sam wielded his baseball bat, which he had taken from his locker. John had a pole used for a removable soccer net. Mitch had nothing but his fist, but he was by far the strongest of us. And we all knew he had a hunting knife in his pants, if shit went too hot. J.S. grinned at the heavy-looking knuckle duster he held. He had bought it in a small shop in downtown Montreal a few months before. Fernando looked down at his own baseball bat. Joe had nothing, but, knowing him, he'd pick up the first thing in his way and use it as a weapon. He could be very soft when it came to his girlfriend, Sarah, but he was a hell of a berserk when it came to revenge.

I cracked my knuckles, and spun the heavy lead pipe I held. I had been hiding that in my locker since a while. It had been for a science project, but I had kept it, with this increase of violence.

We walked inside the party, weapons drawn, ready to wrestle.

''Hey yo, skateboarders, you are going down! No matter how much! YOU ARE GOING DOWN! You are going to pay for what you did to Sabrina!''

As the crowd scattered, students trying to run away from the havoc, we walked straight to a bunch of skateboarders standing in the middle of the room. I swung the lead pipe toward the first one's stomach, and he went down in one shot, moaning in pain. I kicked him as another skateboarder fell to the floor, Mitch in front of him. J.S. was going berserk on these motherfuckers. Fernando swung the baseball bat on one's mouth. John finished the guy with a good steel pole hit. Sam was taking another down, his bat making a characteristic sound. J.S. Knocked the last one down with his knuckle duster. Blood dripped from his opponent's nose. Mitch knock another skateboarder that tried to enter the room to help his friends.

I looked around. Unconscious bodies laid everywhere. Blood stained several spots, and we could hear people screaming in the background. But we didn't gave a dime about it. We walked slowly to the exit, our weapons still drawn.

**Chapter 2 : The point of no return**

_Two weeks later, Mitch's house_

Looking paranoid, we were now specializing in that. From my vantage post at the second floor window, I looked around the front yard, flipping my knife in my hands. We had taken refuge in Mitch's house, and we left it only to go to school. We protected the girls, and ourselves in the meantime. Every day that passed, we followed Sabrina, Emy and Suzy, as well as any other girl that were with us, and made sure they got back to the hideout safely. We had no choice. They had threatened to burn down our parent's houses. So, to prevent this, we moved in Mitch's house, as is parents were gone for two months in a trip to South America.

We were getting paranoid, but not without reasons. Numerous times, skateboarders had tired to attack us, but we had scared them off wielding various tools. Everything was alright that way when another step was taken in the direction of war.

I was at school, with Sabrina, Emy, Sam and J.S., when a guy passed by me, and grabbed my arm. He held it lock, and slipped a knife out of his pockets. He tired to stab me in the stomach, but I kicked him. Sam finished him off, and we ran to the safe house. This was no time to stay at school. This time, they had tried a direct attempt on my life. On our lives. This was unacceptable.

That's why, an hour later, the whole gang was standing in front of the ''Gerald Thompson Gun Shop''. The flickering sign warned us that the place wasn't all that legal. But that was what we were looking for. Not all gun shops were ready to sell firearms to fifteen year old teens. We stepped in.

''You got semi-automatics?''

''You mean like pistols?''

''Exactly.''

''Nine millimeter?''

''That'll do for starter...''

As we took possession of our weapons, I grinned widely. This time, they wouldn't stand a chance. I didn't wanted to kill anybody, but they had tried first. They had threatened the very life of our girls, of Sabrina. And I was indefinably mad at them for that.

''Now, they won't have a chance!''

''Yeah!''

''Y'all okay with this?''

''For sure!''

''But I want y'all to remember one thing... Don't use it unless someone's life depends on it. Don't kill for fun, to make it short.''

They nodded. Slowly, I had became their leader, their guide through this. I smiled to Sabrina.

''Don't worry girl, we won't use it unless it is necessary. I bet they'll run off when they'll see 'em anyway...''

''Yeah...''

Her voice tone suddenly turned softer as she continued.

''Shawn... I just wanted to thank you... for all you've done...''

''I had to beat them anyway... and I wasn't alone.''

''No... I mean for me... You always cared for me, always made sure I was alright.''

''Yeah... Well... To be totally honest... I always... felt something strong about... you...''

She didn't answered. There was no need to. She just smiled. The prettiest smile I had ever seen in my life. I smiled back.

''Sabrina... I...''

''I...'' she said at the same time.

We both stopped and gazed at each other.

''I love you...'' We said together.

My heart sank. Her eyes started getting watery as she moved closer to me. She leaned her head on my shoulder as I passed my hand in her blond hair. I warped my arms around her. It felt warm. She lifted her head a notch, and our lips met in a shy manner. Then, I pressed forward, and the kiss became more and more intense. As her tongue slipped in my mouth, a fresh taste took me over. The taste of love.

So that how it all started. That's why nearly half of the school packs heat, and the other half, were soon going to, for their survival. And that's how I finally admitted my love to Sabrina. If I could have stopped time, I would've done it there. With us in relative safety, and with Sabrina with me, world was perfect. Even if we had to pack firearms to keep what we had been able to reconstruct from our old world.

But my life didn't stopped there. Neither did the events. And, once more, it was the other camp that set the fire of war.

As we were walking in the shopping mall, in a bigger town not far from home, we checked the new arrivals at the local jeweler. We were mostly window shopping. I held Sabrina's hand. She smiled to me. I smiled back. Behind us, the entire gang as well as Suzy and Emy were following. Everywhere we went, we went there together. Was saw a bunch of skateboarders not far from us. They didn't knew us. And I wanted it to stay that way.

We passed by them without looking much at them, but still without showing any sign of fear. It wasn't the time to get nagged by some skateboarders. As we passed by, one of them laughed at us. I turned to him, by instinct. He stopped smiling. A look of fear was etched on his face.

Then it all happened. I heard a small metallic noise. In the crowd, I saw something flash. In total confusion, a gunshot boomed. As we observed each other to see whether it was them or us that had fired the shot, a moan of pain was heard to my side. I turned to Sabrina. She looked lost. Her eyes looked empty. I felt the contact of her hand in mine slip, and I saw her fall on the floor. I turned back to the skateboarders, unsure if what I had seen was real.

Then it clicked. I saw a gun falling on the cold tilling, and one of the skateboarders started shaking nervously. Then, he turned around and ran away.

I turned back to Sabrina. She was laying on the floor, her hair scattered around her. A dark liquid I could identify as blood was flowing on the floor. A small sized hole was marking her chest.

''Damn... Sabrina... You okay?''

My question was stupid, I can now say it. All she could manage to say was a ''yes'' that sounded more like a moan of pain than an actual word. I leaned toward her. I heard a phone dialing tone. It was Mitch. He had his cell phone.

I took Sabrina's hand, and felt the coldness in it. Several minutes passed, with nothing being said. Two medical technicians ran in, and took Sabrina to the ambulance. I hopped in the back, with me girlfriend. All the way to the hospital, I held her hand, and kept telling her that she was going to make it. The truth was that I was saying that partly to convince me too. As the ambulance turned the corner to the hospital, a sound way too familiar ringed in my hear. A long and uniform _beep. _I glanced at the electro-cardiogram. It was near flat line, like in the movies. My heart nearly stopped. The med with me immediately tried to reanimate her. The vehicle stopped, and another med ran to help us. They took Sabrina inside, and I was left on the sidewalk.

I ran inside, knowing that they wouldn't let me in the operation room anyway, but still, it was the only thing to do. I ran after the cart holding Sabrina. As it arrived to a room, the door slamming shut behind it, I tried to get in.

''No sir... No visitors in operation unit.''

''Fuck this, I'm her boyfriend!''

''No exceptions sir...''

Before I could register his answer in my head, I saw the electro-cardiogram inside the room. It was completely flat. I could here the beeping noise. As a doctor motioned his lips, I could read what he was saying.

''We lost her...''

In my head, the words made like a nuclear warhead. Without thinking, I pushed aside the technician barring the way, and rammed the door, opening it in a loud thud. The doctor looked at me in a sad way.

''She is... dead... sir...''

There were no doubts possible. She was dead.

I lost control, barking nonsense as I slammed my fist in the doctor's face. I felt arms grabbing me from behind, before my nerves let go. Then, all I could see was a pure white.

**Chapter 3 : The grim reaper**

When I woke up, I felt something at my arms. I was restrained in a bed someplace. I opened my eyes to the world as memories came back to me. She was dead. I freed myself of the strains, and got to my feet. I limped to the door, unsure of what I was doing there. To the difficulty I had to walk, I had been in this position for a long time.

I arrived face to a doctor.

''Ah... Sir... You are awake.''

''Yeah...'' I said in a harsh voice.

''Look, we...''

''I know.''

''But...''

''Look, I don't need a fucking doctor to tell me that my girlfriend is dead! Damn, I've seen her die!''

''Yeah...''

''Were are my clothes?''

''In the bathroom.''

I walked back to my room, and went for the bathroom. I slipped my hand in my pants, and reached for were I usually placed my gun. It was absent from it's emplacement. I turned to the doctor.

''Were is it?!''

''The gun?''

''Fuck yeah!''

''We kept it... We are going to take it to the cops.''

''Motherfuckers! Give it back to me right now, if you value your life!''

''...Why? So you can kill the ones responsible for you girlfriend's death? I won't give it to you!''

''Fine then... But be sure to lock your doors at night... You never know if you'll find your two daughters alive in the morning...''

He looked scared like I had never seen somebody been. I led me into a small office, and dug in a drawer. He threw me the pistol, and the clip. On his desk, I could see a picture of him, a little younger, with a woman of his age, and two children. Two girls. Turned out he really had two daughters.

''Thanks...'' I said simply, as I walked out. I went back to the bath room, retrieved my clothes, and got dressed.

I walked out the front doors, fresh air coming to me. She was dead. These skateboarders had killed her. They had fucking killed her. I couldn't believe it, even after seeing it.

In the taxi that took me back to my hometown, I watched outside as the background changed quickly. As the taxi sped through main street, and turned to pass the school, I made it stop. A large pillar of fire was floating above a nearby house. The school had several windows broken. Two hip-hop kids were beating a skateboarder in front of the school.

I walked to Mitch's house. As I stepped in, the first person to come for me was John.

''Hey man... Sorry 'bout... Sabrina...''

''This isn't your fault.'' I said flatly, without emotions.

''I know man...''

''Were are the other?''

''Mitch is in the back. We were waiting for you. The others should be back soon...''

As he said these words, the others, including J.S., Sam, Fernando,Joe, and Chris, John's cousin, stepped in, carrying various tools in their hands. Most notably, a gas bottle, and a barbecue lighter. Then I knew who had set the house near the corner on fire. It had been a skateboarders house, I knew it.

''Hey man...'' J.S. hollered.

Everybody greeted me, but a thick layer of grief was separating me from my long-time friends. The air in the room was nearly insupportable. They did not knew how to take this, neither how to talk to me about it. I broke the silence.

''Alright, were is my bag?''

''What for homie?''

''I'm going...''

''No way man... Not after what you've been through. We ain't letting you down.''

''This is my fight...''

''Sabrina was our friend too... And You being one of ours means we gotta do this as a team. We will fuck up these assholes to the last one of them!''

''Y'all sure you wanna do this?''

''No discussion, let's kick some ass already!''

''For sure...''

Seated around the kitchen table, a large map spread across the surface, we were trying to find a suitable plan of action. After several minutes of trying in vain, we were getting trigger-finger itchy.

''Look, there is no plan for this. I suggest we do it like we always did. We roll through, take them down, and stab out. We do this until the entire city is empty of these motherfucker. We'll find the one that capped Sabrina, he ain't going nowhere.'' John said.

''Hell yeah!''

''Time to get strapped boys...''

Several gun cocking sounds were heard in the house.

''Were are Emy and Suzy?''

''At the hospital...''

''Okay, J.S., give them a call, tell 'em to lay low until this is over.''

''Alright...''

After this was done, we checked one last time our arsenal, and we stepped out of the house.

''My take is we roll to the school, shooting drive-by all the motherfuckers we find in route. Then, we hop out and storm the place...''

''Sounds like a plan.''

During the ride to the school, we were all nervous. We hadn't asked for all of this. But, even worse, the girls, they hadn't deserved it at all. One of them was dead, for this stupid gang war's sake. The fact that she was my girlfriend was irrelevant at the moment, at least from an impartial point of view.

But from my perspective, it was a whole different deal. They had taken Sabrina's life. I would take their's one at a time. What would this bring? Safety to this town, and a brighter future for the others. But, mainly, the reason I was in this car, holding my gun, ready to shoot, was totally vengeance. My personal egoist vendetta. This quest for the revenge on what they had done to a girl that was no longer of this world.

But her memory had to be honored. By this act of violence, this incident would be placed on the map. And Sabrina's fate would never be forgotten.

As John started Mitch's car, Mitch himself took place in the passenger seat. I climbed in the back, and Sam followed me. The second car, Joe's, was holding Joe as driver, along with J.S. and Fernando as passengers. We all had a nine-millimeter handgun, or a .40 cal pistol, except from J.S., who had a Mac 10 fully automatic. Chris go by at the last minute, holding a large shotgun. He hopped in the second car. At the start, the skateboarders used to insult us by labeling us as wannabe gangsters. But now, ironically, we were the ones with the guns, ready to kill for what we had faith in.

''Alright, let's get this done with...''

''Hell yeah...'' Sam said as he cocked his gun.

We knuckled up one last time.

''This time, we are going to triumph.''

Everybody approved, and the two-car convoy got moving. Why had Sabrina died? Why her? Why not me? Now, I felt so lonely, alone in what I had to go through. At least there was my crew. Always down for me. Like brothers. Brothers in arms...

I cocked my .40 caliber pistol as the cars rolled past the empty streets. There was nobody outside. Too bad, we'd get to kill them all at school...

As the cars parked up in front of the establishment, we all got out. We had concealed our guns, except from Chris, who had his shotgun. He hid it behind his back the best he could. We walked in the locker room. Soon, the tiles and walls of this room would be stained with the blood of skateboarders. No matter if they had something to do with Sabrina's death or not. They were all going down.

As we stepped in, we walked to the usual gang of skateboarders standing by the entrance, harassing everybody that got in. A girl walked in, and these assholes insulted her. I slipped the gun out of my pants. So did the others. It was payback time.

As the gun were drawn, the girl screamed and ran for cover. By the time she ran away, we had already started blasting. I aimed and shot the first one in the stomach.

''Motherfuckers!'' J.S. yelled out as his automatic weapon ringed in the hall. Fernando and John were blasting to the left, Mitch and Joe to the right, and the rest of us in the middle. My bullets dug deep holes in our opponents' skin, making them scream in pain. A dozen bodies fell to the floor. Blood had sprayed onto the entire zone, but we cared less about it. We walked forward to the mess hall. As a few skateboarders turned to us, Chris pumped a round in the first one's head. I shot one down. Fernando gunned another. As Mitch capped the last one, the silence took place in the gigantic room. A few screams were still to be heard, in the background. Two skateboarders hidden behind a table tried to made a run for it, but John and I shot them before they even got close to the exit. As blood dripped on the tilling, spilling to our feet, we walked quickly to the gymnasium.

A few of them were playing soccer in the first gym, along with some girls.

''Girls, get the fuck down!'' I shouted as shots started to echo in the room.

A first one dropped to the ground, Joe's gun still smoking. Sam shot down the second one. We were ruthless and cruel, but that was the way life had made us. These were the repercussions of Sabrina's death. The consequences of the innocent people's murder.

As the last one of them dropped dead, we walked out, the girls still in shock. One day, they'll understand why we had done this for.

We kicked the library doors open. Two skateboarders were sitting at a nearby table. I recognized one. I had seen him before. Then his face flashed back in my mind. It was... him... Sabrina's killer...

Without any words, I grabbed Chris' shotgun, and pumped a round into it. I aimed for the second guy's head, and pressed the trigger heartlessly. Half of his head splattered onto the table. Sabrina's killer screamed in disgust, and, later, in fear. I pumped my gun once more, and readied it for another blow. As it lined up for the murderer's head, he started panicking.

''Man... I'm sure we can... talk this over...''

''What for? You killed my girlfriend!''

''It... it was an accident...''

''Yeah... So is this...''

I squeezed the trigger. The last thing I heard before the detonation was the killer, praying god for his sake. But god had forgotten him. Like he had forgotten Sabrina. In the end, was there really a god somewhere in the sky, watching our every step?

The blast took away most of his cranium, and left brain matter on the table, along with flesh and bones. He was dead. I glanced one last time at the body, to be sure he was going to stay down. We then all ran out and got back to the cars. As the gang got back to the hideout, I walked away by the sidewalk. My place was no longer with them.

''Shawn... Were are you going?'' John asked.

''I'm leaving. Plain and simple. I don't know where to, and that doesn't matter now. Nothing does... Y'all be happy. Don't ever let the cops catch you, they won't understand. From now on, we don't know each other. I'll bring the cops on me, and leave town. That'll let you enough time to figure out what to do next. After that, I'll be powerless to help you.''

''Alright...'' The others answered, resigned.

''No way man... I'm coming with you.'' John said, not resigning that easy.

''Look, you always had my back since day one. And that, I'll never forget it. But what I want is no longer in this world. I don't give a fuck about dying. You still got things to keep going for. I don't. Sabrina's dead. My world is dead.''

I turned around, pain hitting my heart. I wasn't going to be able to return to real life. Anyway, the police would catch me. I still had one last thing to do.

''Shawn...'' John called.

''Yeah?'' I said, tired.

''Take this... It'll come in handy...''

He threw me his handgun. I had two handguns and Chris' shotgun. I packed them inside my coat, hiding them the best I could.

I went for the first car to stop at the corner. I placed a hand on the handle, and pulled it. As the door popped open, I aimed my first pistol at the occupant's head.

''Sorry man... But this car is mine...''

I pulled him out of his vehicle and took his place. I sped off before he could even get back to his feet. As my foot started feeling heavy, I squeezed the gas pedal. I floored it, and took a sharp turn. The car tilted a bit, but it straightened up at last. I took another 90 degree turn, and was nearly propelled out of my seat. The car ran over a stop sign, but nothing else happened. How long was I gonna do this?

I steered the car into the opposing street, and floored it. As I sped over 200 kilometers per hour in the inverse lane, I did not even felt an bit of fear. To say the truth, I wasn't feeling anything. No more. Not since Sabrina's death. She had not deserved this shit. We had not. But especially her. She was just a good girl at the wrong place, at the wrong time. All of this because of that motherfucker that raped her. Without him, none of this would have happened. I would not have beaten him, the skateboarders wouldn't have tried a murder attempt on me, and we would not have ended packing guns, in either camps. Sabrina would not have been shot to death in that shopping mall...

I felt my heart beat raise as an oncoming car was in sight. Was I really going to do this? Why was I going to do this? For her? I was not sure she wanted me to end my life to join her. She loved me too much to hope that. But life without her was impossible, like a growing hole that can't be repaired. Like a wound that would never heal.

I tried for a second to imagine life without her. It was inconceivable. I could not live with the knowledge that she was dead, that I would never see her again. No. I could not. As the car sped even a tad more, I started shaking.

Sabrina was in heaven. She was waiting for me with open arms. The gates to paradise were wide open. They were right in front of me, a blinding light in the darkness of my heart. My love was there, I was sure. There was nothing more for me in this world of hurt. All that I needed was up there, with god.

I saw one last image, before the final impact. The clear blue sky, the sun shinning like the gates to heaven. The sound of birds singing. The roaring of the engine. The other car's occupant screaming. A loud crash. Them, a short burst of pain to my head. It was the end. I was dead too.

A face slowly drawn itself in the white surroundings. A face I knew for being so pure.

''Sabrina...''

''Shawn...''

**Epilogue **

_The Montreal press, Saturday September 15th _

_A second slaughter in a scholarship institution in a year. Yesterday, a unprecedented bloodshed took place at the local high school of a small town north of Montreal. A group of teenagers, believed to be students, irrupted in the room wielding guns. As they killed a good part of the students, they were reportedly heartless and violent, as stated by a witness._

_Just minutes after the mass murder, a car crash cost the life of a teenager believed to be in connection with the shooting. He held a considerable supply of weapons on him. No other victims were recorded. _

_But, not more then an hour later, as the news spread throughout the small town, riots started to take place at random location. The suspects were allegedly wearing hip-hop related clothing, and were shouting nonsense about a woman of theirs that had been murdered. The story, which had spread through the Internet, quickly gained numerous other cities, and such riots are currently taking place in various countries. To now, the identity of the girl whose murder is claimed to be the ''skateboarders'' work is yet unknown officially. But several sources claim this person to be a local teen student that had reportedly been assaulted earlier in the month. We will keep you informed on the last developments of this story, and on whether it was a vendetta or not._


	2. Chapter 2 : The Aftermath

**Part 2 : The aftermath**

Near two cars somewhere in front of Montreal airport terminal, a small group of teens were gathered.

''I know this sucks, but we gotta go separate ways from here...''John said.

''Yeah... Man... This shit as gone out of control...'' Mitch let out.

''The whole damn country is under riot. For now, they are mostly pacific for now, but I sense I will get hotter within a few days.''

''Okay, so what's the plan exactly?''

''Let's just split up by teams of two. I don't care to what destination you fly, as long as we don't end up in the same place.''

''Yeah... And we'll meet up when stuff will be calmed down...'' Chris said.

In a corner, Fernando finished his cigarette. He cough a bit, and walked to the crew.

''So, who's with who?''

''The only thing I think we should follow is that Emy come with a guy and Suzy with another. We don't want these two to get killed... At least not both...''

An hour later, John had boarded a direct flight to Miami. The crew had taken all the spare money they had. This getaway scheme was maybe exaggerate, but they could not stand staying in this city longer, since the situation had further degraded since... that day...

That day where their friend Shawn had voluntarily ended his life in a car crash. Sine that day a month before, they had sworn to god to honor the memory of their dead friend. They had hit Montreal and led a few riots, but the police was already looking for them for the school shootout, so they were immediately spotted. At the moment, they had life sentence charged on them, and they were on the run. But since nobody knew their names, they hoped to get through the customs without much trouble.

Next to John, sitting in the plane's last row, next to the window, was Emy. She had been Sabrina's long-time best friend, and John felt he had to keep her safe for as long as he could, only by respect for his dead friend's girl.

In another plane bound to New York, J.S. and Suzy were taking place. J.S. looked at Suzy sitting next to him. As silence kept filling the free time they had before takeoff, he wished he knew her more so he could know how to comfort her. She looked so worried about this whole deal.

In a third aircraft taking off of Las Vegas, Fernando was sitting next to Chris, who sat silent, listening to some music by his CD player. Fernando was still shook up by the way Shawn's life had ended. Why had he done that? So was the question that lurked in the dark corners of his mind, restlessly coming back to haunted him day after day.

In the last plane, three crew members took place. Mitch sat next to the window, rubbing his temple to try to clear his mind. He was tired of this whole deal. Life had not been easy for anybody since that day. Shawn had held the group together in his hands. By his death, the once so solid group had lost some of it's members.

Next to him, Sam was standing silently. The black guy had been almost totally silent since the death of Shawn. The only time he spoke, it was in a short, very straight manner, and most likely to answer a yes/no question. Nobody in the group knew Sam's feeling. He had once been the party guy everybody knew him for, but now, nothing was left of it. All that remained in him was a ever growing rage. Not only toward the skateboarders. He was mad at the society for having let those events happen.

Joe sat in the row behind the two other guys. He kept looking out the window, wishing he would not be trapped in this plane for too long. He wasn't the kind of guy to stay indoor too long. His rage did not helped a thing for that. Although he was not the one closest to Shawn, he had been unable to just turn his back around and continue life. He had to clear this with the others. Plus, the law wanted him for the shootout, so the only thing he could do was keeping going. So that's why he was on that plane with Sam and Mitch, flying straight for Los Angeles.

In the first plane, John was lost in his thoughts. Was all of this really happening? It seemed way too unrealistic to happen. Not to him, a normal teenage high school student. But he knew it was real. No dream of any kind could bring this kind of fear. A fear that would never go totally. The fear that all of this would restart. That he would be forced to kill once more. He did not wanted to do so, but he knew Shawn had to be honored. For now, he'd just concentrate and the moment at hand, and see what tomorrow would bring.

He turned to Emy. She gazed out the window at the clouds that had gone farther down as the plain climbed steadily. She looked worried. She had lost her best friend not a month ago, and then another good friend the same day. Shawn had been like a brother to her. A big brother always there to protect her. But now, she felt weak without him. She had John, and she knew he was trustworthy, but she could not just forget about Shawn. He had been too important to her, and to Sabrina, to be forgotten.

''You okay girl?'' John asked, concern in his eyes.

''Yeah... You?''

John froze to the short question. He had been very surprised by this. With him being sort of Shawn's substitute, nobody had ever asked him if he was alright. He did what he could to keep the gang together, but he was always a step behind. And, for once, somebody asked him about his own well-being. He couldn't help but smile at the question.

''I'm alright...''

Emy smiled back. As John watched her fall asleep, he felt something strong. Not love properly spoken, but more life some sort of friendship, strong as the bond between brother and sister. He felt an urge to protect her, to make her happy, for as long as god wanted him to do so. Even though he did not much believed in god after what he had seen and gone through.

After a bit more than two hours, the neutral, almost mechanical voice of the intendant was heard throughout the plane.

''Ladies and gentlemen, we are in final approach for Miami International Airport. Please fasten your seat belt and place any loose objects in the basket in front of you or under the seat.''

Emy woke up and gave John a friendly look. He smiled.

''We are about to land...'' He said.

She nodded, and looked out the window. Outside, to the rising sun, Miami was stretching almost endlessly. Hundreds of almost identical houses formed large districts, most of them being retired people. But that was not were she would be staying.

She turned back to John.

''So, we are finally in Florida...''

''Yeah... that'll change from Canadian winters...''

''For sure...''

As the plane touched down on the tarmac, they were ready to get out, lacking any personal belongings. They had no luggage, and no proof of who they were except their passport.

As they walked out of the terminal, both exchanged an encouraging look, before they hailed a taxi downtown.

Meanwhile, in a plane in route for Los Angeles, Mitch was engaged in a conversation with Joe, mostly about football, while Sam appeared to be sleeping. His hooded vest on, his head covered, he remained silent. In his head, the device that once had been his mind was focused on one thing : vengeance.

The plane would soon land at LAX, and they would have to find a place to lay low for a while. As they stepped out of the newly landed plane, the atmosphere was anything but calm. Tension was palpable in the group.

Back in a cheap motel room in Miami, John and Emy were talking.

''What are we gonna do now?'' Emy asked, half for herself.

Silence was all that answered her. John stood near the window, gazing upon a society that had ripped away from them all they had faith in. Now, all that remained to him was Emy, that girl he considered as his own sister.

He walked back to the bed, were Emy was sitting.

''I don't know...'' he said, a hint of desperation creeping into each word.

During a while, they stayed eyes locked, studying each other. John started to see more an more fear in Emy's beautiful blue eyes. A light, very contrasting blue, making John feel as if nothing had happened. As long as he was not alone, he would be okay.

Outside, rain had started pouring, and skies had turned to a shady gray. The sound of water landing on the cheap roof of the motel made like a background to this silent conversation.

Emy kept her eyes on the young man standing in front of her. In the way he acted, he sort of reminded her of Shawn. He had the same concern for his friends. But Shawn had killed himself over what he considered the only thing more important than his friends. And Emy had to respect that. However, were she couldn't get mad at Shawn for ending his life, she ended up being mad at her late best friend Sabrina for dragging Shawn into such despair. But there was no point in being mad at dead people. Sabrina had done nothing bad. Only, the repercussions of her death were the cause of all what was happening to them.

Now, separated from everybody else, Emy saw John as the only friend she still had on earth. The only one able to understand her at least a bit.

''Don't worry... The police won't find us here...'' John said, feeling uncomfortable with Emy's worried expression.

She turned her head to him and sent him a small, genuine smile. They were okay... At least for now.

As Mitch opened the door of their motel room, on the second floor of a building in the middle of Inglewood, Sam and Joe came with the few bags of apparel they had taken with them. As they dropped the stuff onto the closest bed, they realized there was only two single beds, and a armchair in a corner. Mitch and Joe exchanged gaze.

''I'll take the chair.'' Sam said, his voice low and grim, with slight emphasis on the I, as if he had read the other two's minds.

The two Caucasians nodded, mildly surprised.

They were almost sad that Sam, who seemed to suffer twice as much as the other two, was going to get the most uncomfortable place to sleep. But they both knew arguing with Sam was not the thing to do. He was not kidding anymore. Not since Shawn's death...

Something had broken inside his head that day. Some wire had disconnected, flooding his mind with hatred, anger and darkness.

They spent all day in the room, unpacking the few bags of clothes they had. Lacking any form of amusement, the motel room soon became boring and sad, as if the guys had brought in their feelings with them.

Sam did not wanted to talk. Mitch and Joe did not talk much neither. They did not wanted to disturb the calm and peace of the room. They were both impressed and scared by Sam's indifference. A thick layer of anger soon separated them all. Each word was a difficult step, a hard climbing on a high mountain.

Time seemed to flow so slowly it could have stopped, but the day finally passed. At about ten, Mitch went to bed, followed soon by Joe. Sleep was a refreshing alternative to just starring at the other two, and trying to read their mind. Maybe when they'd wake up the next morning, things would be better.

In the dark corner of the room, Sam was starring at the entrance door. He got up silently, and went for the bathroom. Gazing at his reflexion in the dirty mirror, he came to an alarming conclusion. He did not look much human anymore. His face was stone-cold, and he could not even force a smile. Outside, he looked like he could not feel any emotions. But inside, emotions were like a burning furnace.

Emotions were what had dragged him to this state of indifference to whatever the world threw at him. He could not stand feeling like that. He got out of the bathroom, flicked the light closed, and walked a bit in the entrance hallway. He stopped in front of the door, his feet silent of the brownish carpet.

He pondered a bit, and passed his hand on the handle. Unlocking it in a faint click, he pushed it open, and closed it with incredible silence.

Once he was locked outside, Sam felt the refreshing wind on his face. Looking around at his surroundings, he felt some sort of freedom. He did not have to stay locked in this motel room. He was only bringing the others down.

Around him, a world of cold and hurt was standing. Rows of similar houses, only different in color were stretching to the end of the street. An old beaten up Chevrolet was parked near the motel. The trunk was half-open, and rust had crept all over the lower body of the car. The surrounding houses had their windows boarded up or blocked with steel bars. Faint lighting came from inside a few houses.

Sam decided to walk further down the street. He enjoyed, if he could it so, the outside air, and the peace of the silent night. Nobody was out. Nobody to talk to, to have to be nice with. He did not felt like being nice. He could not physically be nice.

Walking down the street, he realized how dark it actually was. No street lights, no car passing. Nothing. It looked dead, as if a plague had killed all of it's inhabitants.

Guided by the light at the end of the street, Sam ended up on La Brea avenue. He turned south, not really giving any attention to where he was headed.

Looking around, he could see two fat black guys sitting on the sidewalk a few meter further. They seemed to play dice, but he wasn't sure.

He passed in front of them. Even though he did not intended to meet gaze with any of them, he did. In the first man's face, he could see some sort of sympathy. A deep understanding of his feelings. Some sort of brother ship that only Shawn had brought him. This sort of web that connected those who had suffered much in their lives.

Sam kept going, though he felt like sitting with the other two and chatting a bit. For the first time in a long while, he felt like talking. He had broken the social cold, not, rather social blizzard that had frozen him into loneliness.

Lost in his thoughts about his mental state, he ended up the corner of LA Brea and Century. On the west side of Century Boulevard, he could see the row of houses becoming less and less protected. A dozen housed after, a street cut the block in two. Beyond that point, houses were different. They had a few early decorations ready for Halloween, which was a month later. No metal mesh were blocking the windows, and not locked gate were barring the route. A few blocks further, large hotels such as the Crowne Plaza were standing proudly above the surrounding lower structures.

Sam stopped on the corner, left breathless by the bizarre scene that was taking place. On one side, the houses were nice, and relatively new cars were parked in front. On the other side, nothing but a ten feet tall gray concrete wall with several layers of mesh wires on top of it.

The sad scene made Sam feel restrained. It was unclear if the whole barricade had been set in place to hold thieves and robbers from coming in, or to keep the lower-end district's inhabitants inside their ghetto.

A bystander walked on the other side of the street. He turned his head to Sam, starring at him as if he was a fish out of the ocean. Sam turned around and walked back to the heart of Inglewood, hatred taking back his heart.

He was tired that nobody could understand him. He held his fist tightly, fighting the urge to turn around and knock the guy out. But he restrained himself. He had to keep a low profile. He did not wanted to get caught by the police, because they would check their background information, and might make the link with the school shooting.

Frustrated, Sam walked back to La Brea, gazing one last time over his shoulder at the glamorous hotels and nicer homes. This was no longer for him. On the other side of the street, two men were looking at him.

''Hey brother...'' the first one hollered.

_**Author's notes**_

_**I know, this chapter's a lot less long than the previous, but that's because the first one was intended to be a complete story. I will continue on with more soon. Thanks for reading, and leave me a review if you feel like it. If you wish to contact me, my E-mail and IM are on my profile page. Thanks a lot for the feedback...**_


	3. Chapter 3 : The Aftermath Cont'd

**Chapter 3 : The aftermath continued**

Fernando looked at the glittering casinos down on the Las Vegas boulevard, also knows as the Strip, and could only feel sorry that they could not stay at one of these extravagant locations. Chris and him where going to Las Vegas, but not for the glitz and glamor of the hotels. They would stay downtown, in the old strip area.

They bounced out of the airplane in which they had been stuck for over four hours, and got their luggage from the carousel. They then took the bus to downtown. Upon stopping at the old Vegas strip, they could only take note of the district's desolating state.

This narrow boulevard stuck in between rows of low brick buildings was covered by a glass roofing. The arch-like style roof was dirty, and cracked in many places. It made it look like it had been built so the tourists would not see what this part of town had become over time. In the forties, it had once been the center of the glitter of Las Vegas, but it was now nothing more than a pack of cheap casinos and old hotels.

In between the large boulevards, sideway to the main strip, narrow and dark streets where taking place, filled with pawn shops, 24 hour liquor stores and laundromats.

In the far end of the boulevard, a tall and cleaner looking hotel stood high, the only reminder of the great venues that once filled the street. The hotel was strangely familiar to Fernando, though he had never came to Las Vegas before. Chris broke the silence.

''Hey, ain't that the hotel from _The Godfather 2_?''

Fernando glanced at John's cousin, then back at the hotel, and smiled at the sight. He was standing right before the very hotel that had been used in the making of his favorite series of movies. He would enjoy his stay here, he knew it.

Meanwhile, at the JFK airport terminal, in New York City, J.S. was waiting for his luggage to pop out of the carousel, while Suzy went to the washrooms. Left alone with his thoughts, J.S. could think clearly.

What was he going to do? That was the question he kept asking himself. He was stuck in a city he did no know, with a girl he knew only by name and face, with two bags of clothes, and a few dollars.

Plus, they had the coldest and less touristic location of the gang. Vegas, L.A. And Miami were nice places with warm weather and palm trees. But in NYC, nothing but cold concrete and the dead whispers of a grim future.

The world was cold. Suzy walked back from the washroom. By looking at her, J.S. found that he would always have at least a little warmth by his side. Suzy... He barely knew her, but he could tell she was a good girl. But past that point, he could not tell anything else much about her. But he wanted to know more. She virtually looked like a clone of Sabrina, but in taller, and with longer hair.

''So, you got... an idea for... the motel?'' Suzy said, shyly.

''I don't know... We have all day to find something...''

J.S. tried to look relaxed, but he was not. Stress was the only thing on his mind. He felt like he had taken too much amphetamines. Only, he had not touched drugs since the death of his friend Shawn. The drugs were not to blame in the case of his friend's death, but he had realized how fragile life was. And for that, he could not help but think of Suzy. He would do anything to make her happy.

They walked out and strolled down the street, looking for a suitable motel.

In L.A., the cold of the night was sickening. But Sam cared less. He had found somebody to talk to.

''So you said you was from Canada?'' One of the two black guys sitting on the sidewalk asked Sam.

''Yeah...''

''You came here for what?''

''Had to... get away from shit...''

Sam looked down to the street, having a sad though about Shawn, and Sabrina, and the way their lives had ended.

''Man, you look all shook up from that...''

''Just that... you know... something are just... too much...''

''I know what you mean dawg...''

A short silence took place afterwards. Suddenly, the second guy took a trio of dice out of his coat.

''C'mon, let's change our minds with a little game...''

Both the first guy and Sam approved.

''Got some dough to bet, or we do it for fun?'' The guy was talking to Sam.

''I must still have five somewhere...''

''Cool... You sure you wanna bet it?''

''Yeah. Gotta do something with it. And I doubt them stores are open at that time...'' Sam said, pointing out at a row of low-end shops across the street.''

''Look homie, we playin' four-five-six. Our rules, 'cause nobody knows the real ones... You get a point for anytime you get the same number on the three dice. But if your get 4-5-6, you win in one shot. We play in three rounds.''

''A'ight...''

The first guy shot the dices. He got nothing good. The second one got three fives. Sam took the dice from the second guy's hands, and shook them. He threw them on the pavement, and waited until them finished rolling. He got nothing good neither.

The first guy took the dice, and got three fours. The second got nothing good. Sam smiled when he saw the first and the second dice turn on the _two_ faces. The third one rolled a bit further, and turned on the three.

''Damn.'' Sam shouted.

''That was tight.''

The first one shot again. He got three different numbers. He cursed lightly, laughing afterwards. The second one rolled the dice and got three ones. He put his fist in the air, enjoying his win over the first guy. But Sam was not done.

He grabbed the dice, reminding the guy that he was there, and rolled them with strength. The first die turned to four. The second rolled on the four, but passed. The last one bounced a bit and showed off a six. Sam looked at the dice, amused, as he noticed he had 4-5-6.

''Damn...''

Sam took the wager, and they played a while like that. At the end of the night, Sam had twenty dollars. He had lost and won all night. But mostly, he had won two contacts in the neighborhood. And that was beyond the worth of money. He needed people that could understand him.

''I gotta go catch some sleep. Holler at your later.'' Sam explained.

''Okay man, I was about to do so anyway.''

Sam returned to the motel. He had no idea of what time it was, and of how long he had been with those guys, but it had made him a lot of good to talk. He was now more relaxed, and he felt like he could sleep a bit before sunrise.

Mitch had already been awake for a while when he heard the door being opened. He rose up on his bed, ready to defend himself. But he was reassured when he realized it was only Sam.

It was Sam, but he had something different. He looked somehow closer to his normal self, and Mitch would have tried to talk to him had it been of Joe sleeping in the other bed.

Sam pulled off his hooded jacket, and hung it on the rather cheap hangers in the closet. Mitch got up from the bed and walked to Sam.

''Take my bed man, I won't sleep anymore than that tonight...'' Mitch said, his voice as low as it could be.

''What time is it?''

''Something like 3 A.M.''

''A'ight, I might just do that... You sure you'll be okay with the chair?''

''Yeah...''

''Thanks...''

Suddenly, Sam felt like everybody was his friend. Since one people had been nice to him, he felt like everybody could do it too. And for that, he felt happy. He could not guarantee he would still be tomorrow, or the day after, but for the moment, he was in a good mood, and he thanked god for it.


End file.
